The Host and the Heiress
by Ellerien Sylvani
Summary: Keiko Ishida, a once wealthy heiress of her family's growing business, and exceptional student of the elite Ouran Academy has been forced to live the life of a commoner. When she seeks out the infamous Haruhi Fujioka for help, she will find that becoming involved with the Ouran Host Club could be more than she bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

It had been several weeks since Haruhi Fujioka had become a host, and while she couldn't say she was getting used to the antics of her fellow hosts, spending her afternoons in the third Music Room was becoming routine. The stress of her 8 million yen debt was slowly fading as she began to enjoy her time in the Host Club, save for Kyoya's quips on her debt. At first, she wasn't so sure that she could balance both the Club and her academics, seeing as how her scholarship with Ouran Academy depended on her being first in her class. However, with the wide range of resources and tutors available at the Academy, academics didn't stand a chance against Haruhi.

Club hours had just ended, and the hosts were gathered on the fine sofas around a coffee table engaged in their daily meeting, which usually just consisted of everybody giving a brief account of that day's clients and ensuring that the general atmosphere was up to Tamaki's standards. It was at this time that they would also plan any events that would take place that week, but Haruhi usually liked to simply unravel after entertaining guests for so long. She had always had a knack for conversation and others took to her, although after a long day of classes it was certainly tiring. She sat back and idly listened to the conversation, while planning a trip to the supermarket the next day.

"I think we should have another cosplay event," Tamaki declared. "This time it will be Latin American fashion! Hikaru and Kaoru, your mother can supply us with the outfits we need, and I've already asked the Dance Club to perform a salsa dancing routine, of which we will also perform in! It will be one of our most beautiful and lively events yet!" The twins and Honey were making 'oohs' and 'aahs,' while Kyoya jotted down notes in his black book.

"Dance Club? I didn't know we had a Dance Club," she mused, "although I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."

"Ouran Academy is one of the most prestigious schools in all of Japan," said Kyoya, still taking notes. "Any kind of club you could probably imagine is almost sure to be found within the Academy."

Haruhi watched Kyoya take notes for a few seconds and thought back to when she first took a tour of Ouran Academy. She remembered receiving a couple of pamphlets for different clubs, but she hadn't really looked at any of them very closely. She had only intended to pursue her education; at least that was how she felt before being roped into this Host Club business.

"Tanaka-senpai, do you know where Remi-san is today?"

Tanaka glanced over to where Keiko was standing, packing up her things. "Remi-san asked me permission to spend today's club hours over at the Host Club, and I decided it wouldn't be a problem."

Keiko sighed in irritation. There were a few girls in the Science Club who spent the occasional day with the Host Club, which she wouldn't normally have minded. However, Remi hadn't finished a single of her projects, and the annual Engineering Challenge was only a couple of months away. They were barely a month into the first trimester and already she was tired of hearing about the Host Club.

"Right. Thanks, senpai. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, leaving the science lab with all of her belongings.

Keiko walked briskly to where her chauffer normally picked her up, her thoughts racing. It would be her first year competing against other teams, and she wanted desperately to make a name for herself there. She had been working in the lab tirelessly, constantly designing or building or testing one of her creations.

Once at home, Keiko nearly collapsed in her bed in exhaustion. The past week had been filled with constant pressure and she hadn't allowed herself a moment of relaxation until now. She simply lied there for what seemed like hours, when her cell phone went off, playing some popular hip hop tune. Keiko searched a moment for the cell phone and answered it.

"Keiko?"

"Oh, Misa-chan! What's going on?" she asked, a sudden warmth in her voice after hearing the voice on the other end of the call.

"Keiko! Some of the girls in the Club have been asking me to visit the Host Club with them, and today I finally went and oh my goodness! They're all so handsome and sweet and I had the time of my life!"

Keiko chuckled at her friend's story. "Oh, not you too, Misa! That Host Club is stealing all of our girls on the Science Club!"

Misa giggled back. "They sure got me! They must be stealing all of us because smart girls have such good taste. Maybe you're so opposed to the Host Club because you don't have good taste."

"I'm sure that's it," Keiko replied with a small grin. "Or maybe I'm just more interested in working hard than I am in boys." Misa's silliness always had the power to bring Keiko out of a slump, even when she didn't know she was in one.

"Well, that's actually not the reason I called" the other girl responded with a twinge of embarrassment, "We have a physics test tomorrow and I'm a little confused about some of the material, and I know it's your best subject, so…"

"Say no more," Keiko replied with a smile. "What do you need help with?"

After several hours of homework and studying, Keiko was drifting off at her desk. She took a deep breath and closed various notebooks, slipping them into her schoolbag. She always enjoyed the feeling of neatly packing away her books and papers; it was always a sort of catharsis after studying for many long hours.

A ringing at the door roused her from her thoughts. "Excuse me, Keiko-san? Your father has requested your presence in the dining hall," spoke one of the family servants from the other side of the door. Keiko breathed out another sigh. Her father and mother didn't speak to her very often and when they did, it was usually some reprimanding. The family's ever-growing company was becoming widely successful, so it wasn't unusual for one or both parents to be out, probably in some business meeting. Not that they ever told her about it.

"I'll be down shortly, thank you for letting me know," Keiko called back to the servant. She threw on one of her nicer looking sweaters and brushed out her hair, taking care to make sure she didn't look too unruly, something her mother had a tendency to complain about. Keiko hadn't inherited her mother's elegant dark, wavy curls; her curls were naturally much thicker and tighter, sometimes bordering on messy, which was a definite no-go around upper class peers and guests. Luckily, their family could afford personal hair stylists and all the best hair relaxing products, which she used often.

After taking one last glance in the mirror, Keiko left her room and strolled through the majestic hallway silently. If there was one thing true about the Ishida family, it was that they never spared any expense, and that especially applied to the family home, in all of its grandeur. The halls were warmly lit, and beautifully furnished with opulent rugs and décor. She descended a spiraling staircase into the dining area, where she noticed both of her parents waiting silently. She bowed her head towards both of them and found a seat.

The Ishida family dining hall was certainly not out of character with the rest of the house- large and noble. To the best of her memory, however, the magnificent hall was always filled with a looming sense of solemnity. She was of course, appreciative of expensive things, but the feeling in this room was almost oppressive. Maybe that was just because of her parents, though. The dining hall was, after all, where most of their family meetings took place.

"Keiko, your mother and I have been considering something lately, something we think will be good for you," said her father, his gaze suddenly intensely focused on her. Keiko suppressed a sigh, knowing that it would only annoy her mother, who was also staring at her and nodding slowly. No hello, no 'how has school been' or anything. Typical.

"Your mother and I are very successful and the Ishida Company is growing bigger than it ever has been, and this is due to our hard work and dedication. As you know, you are next in line to inherit the family business, correct?"

Keiko nodded slowly, confused as to where this conversation was going. Her parents almost never acknowledged the idea of Keiko inheriting the family business, she honestly expected that her father would reveal he was an immortal vampire or something, anything to stop him having to pass the company to anyone else, even his own daughter. She was an only child and had often wondered that if she had a sibling, they would be much more eager to give up the reins. Her parents were never particularly warm or encouraging, but they had provided her with a lavish upbringing and the most elite education she could hope for. Keiko glanced sideways at her mother, who was pursing her lips nervously, an unusual sight.

 _…What's going on?_ Keiko thought to herself, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"You are a hardworking student, one of Ouran Academy's most prestigious students. And yet… we need to know that you have the ambition, the drive to take on this company. It's no easy job, to be sure, and we just aren't sure that you are giving enough focus to your potential as the head of the Ishida Company."

Her eyes widened in shock. Where was this coming from? She had been excluded from the company her entire life and so devoted everything to her education and now… she wasn't ambitious enough? "Father, I have the ambition, I swear! Please, if you could just-"

"Keiko!" interrupted her mother, breaking her silence. "Don't be so disrespectful. You lash out with your emotions, and that is exactly why we are hesitant to let you inherit this company. We both worked hard for what we have, and we expect you to do the same, if you truly care about your future with the Ishida Company."

Keiko sat back, trying to restrain the tears welling in her eyes. It frustrated her how much her mother's scornful tone could affect her, even if she had been calm and collected moments before. "So," Keiko said, struggling to keep her voice even, "How can I prove to you both that I am worthy of the company?"

The two exchanged glances. "Well," her father began, "We had an idea that may not excite you at first, but we both agree that it would be an excellent test for you, Keiko."

 _Great._

"All your life, your basic necessities and much more were given to you without question. We decided that it may be… enriching for you to be completely independent for a few months. You can't run a company if you don't even know how to manage yourself in this world. Once you have shown that you are competent enough-"

It was too much. Keiko stood abruptly, cutting him off mid-sentence. Screw being respectful.

"You think I should do _what?_ What do you mean, I'm going to be independent?!"

He was obviously growing angrier by the second, but kept his composure. There were few things that made her father snap, but talking back to him always seemed to do the trick. _Great, Keiko… you just can't keep your mouth shut, can you?_

"I have already secured accommodations for you, and of course your tuition will be paid for, but besides that, you are on your own. You will be responsible for your own meals, rent, and upkeep of your apartment. If you are as determined as you say you are, it should be no problem for you."

It was a joke. It must be a joke. She was being forced out of her family home- the home she grew up in, and for what? To live the life of a commoner, to prove that she was ambitious enough to take over the company? How would eating cheap supermarket food or sweeping some dingy apartment floor going to prove that she could run a company? It was completely ridiculous.

Her mother gave an apologetic smile. It drove her insane. "Listen, Keiko… it may sound like a crazy idea, but experience is the most valuable lesson you can ever have. And what better time than now?" she asked, her demeanor having completely flip-flopped. "You're young, you're smart; think of it as a test. If you are worthy of the Ishida Company, then you will come out on the other side standing taller than ever before."

Keiko nodded weakly; there was no other option.

Keiko stood in her bedroom, taking in all the lavish furniture as if for the very first time. Her bed was large and luxurious, a canopy draped over it to shield her from the rest of the world. The expensive draperies, the small cushioned nook over by the window. She wandered around the room, admiring everything about it, finally stopping at the desk.

It was an antique desk, made of the finest mahogany that money could buy. It was rich in color, the sides were covered in elaborate engravings. The several drawers were all pristinely organized. The desk had belonged to her grandfather, and it was one of her most prized possessions. Of course, she wasn't allowed to take anything with her except a couple of outfits and whatever she needed for school. Everything else would remain here, untouched.

Her parents had informed her that she would continue living in the Ishida family home until the current school week was over. Then, over the weekend she would be taken to her new apartment, and then officially left to her own devices. The thought of being completely alone was unnerving- no servants or chauffeurs or parents. She was so frustrated. Why didn't her parents have any faith in her? Why were they trying to improve her character in such a strange way? Keiko would have been elated to have both her parents as personal mentors, offering guidance and grooming her to one day take over the company, but instead it was this. None of it made any sense at all.

Keiko climbed into one of her personal family limousine for the last time before her exile. It had been difficult to go to school and stay focused for the week, trying to pretend that everything was normal and her whole life wasn't about to change, for who knows how long. If she was going to afford living on her own, she needed a job, so her last few days at home were spent job hunting, which was a lot more difficult than she expected it to be. Hoping to keep the whole situation a secret for as long as possible, she hadn't told any of her friends about what was happening. They would probably laugh, or even worse, pity her. Either way, she was on the way to her new apartment now, and she felt her uncertainty all over her body. Her arms and legs were heavy, her stomach was a pit of butterflies. What did this new life have in store for her?

"It seems we are here, Ishida-san," said the chauffeur.

"Thank you, Inomata-san," Keiko replied while gathering her bags. Shuji Inomata had been her personal chauffeur for several years now, but while living on her own, Keiko wasn't allowed to have contact with any of the family's servants, and that included day-to-day transportation.

The outside of the apartment building was relatively simple in appearance, modern but not as superior as the sort of buildings that Keiko was used to. It was five stories tall, she could see that each apartment had an outside balcony which overlooked the road and a small garden area in front of the complex. Inomata helped her carry her bags and a small suitcase up to the third floor, where her new home was. She glanced at a small scribbled note she clutched in her hands, reading _'Floor 3, suite 17'_

Suite 17. Once they reached the third floor, it was the first door on the left. Tentatively, she pulled the key from her pocket and unlocked the door, opening it slowly.

As soon as she stepped inside the apartment, the narrow hallway leading in and the low ceilings immediately made her feel confined. It was such a tight space, the entire apartment was probably less than half the size of her bedroom back home!

 _No… this, this is my home now. I just need time to get used to it._

As Inomata placed her last few bags on the floor, Keiko bowed her head towards him, and he mirrored the gesture. "Thank you for the help, Inomata-san. I suppose I should get settled in to my new home now, so… wish me luck," she said, with a halfhearted smile. The man smiled back at her.

"I'm sure your parents mean well, Ishida-san. If they think that this will help you, then I'm sure they know what they are doing. I wish you good luck." He turned, and left. Keiko watched him through the window as the man climbed gracefully into the limousine and drove away. She was here now, alone.

Her time as an elite member of society was over;Keiko Ishida was officially a commoner.


	2. Chapter 2

Two days had passed since Keiko had started to apply to every job in the area she could find, yet she was having no luck. Her schedule was already very limited with classes and clubs at Ouran Academy, leaving very little time to work a job. She had been given a small amount of money to spend on food while searching for a job, but now she was becoming worried that it would soon run out. The day she moved in, Keiko had walked to the commoner's supermarket to go shopping, but she had been completely lost. The Ishida family's servants always took care of the family's meals, from buying all of the ingredients to preparation. She had baked some cakes and pastries in the past just for the fun of it, but that was all. No cooking experience and no shopping experience whatsoever. There were long aisles filled with various ingredients and sauces and noodles and meats and dairy and produce and spices and so much more, things she didn't even know existed. Eventually, she just settled on cheap noodles and fruit, as she had started to feel self-conscious looking around the supermarket for so long. She watched how the other customers grabbed a small bag and carefully placed their produce inside, so she inconspicuously copied them and quickly left.

The first two days in the apartment had been a nightmare. The worst thing so far about moving in so far was the loneliness. She may have been by herself at the Ishida family home, save for the servants, but now it was much different. When her parents had left her to fend for herself, a growing pit of anxiety had made its way into her stomach. The longer she sat alone in the quiet apartment, the more unsettled she became. At least it had been somewhat furnished when Keiko arrived, although it wasn't the sort of furnishings she was used to. A small bed, a small couch, a small table… even the house itself was small with its low ceiling and narrow hallways. The cramped feeling that she had felt upon first walking in the door never really went away, so she usually found herself sitting on the outside balcony to relax. Whenever she wasn't unpacking her clothes or running around applying for jobs or attempting to cook noodles, she often thought about her old room. It was so spacious and comfortable, especially compared to _this._ How long did her parents expect her to live like this, anyway? How long did she have to 'learn about the real world' to be ready?

 _I'll be home in no time, I'm sure… I'll prove myself, I know I will!_

But how? What would her parents even be looking for, and how would they monitor her? It was all such chaos, it felt like she had been tossed into the deep ocean and couldn't swim back up for air. She definitely needed help, but it couldn't be from anyone who worked for the Ishida family, and she certainly didn't want to burden any her friends. Besides, relying on other wealthy families might not look too good, if her parents really were keeping tabs on her. _So who?_

There was one commoner at Ouran Academy that she knew of: the infamous Fujioka Haruhi. The kid had gotten into Ouran Academy on the full scholarship, the one that was only granted to a single student every year. He was a getting to be a pretty big deal, even among the other classes. It was a pretty unusual thing to have a commoner gain entrance to the Academy, and then he went and joined that Host Club. Maybe she needed to seek him out, and ask for lessons in being a commoner or something, but she was a second-year and Fujioka was a first-year, so the only way to talk to him would be…

 _To go to that damn Host Club!_

The thought was so unappealing to Keiko that she was seriously considering abandoning the idea altogether… but the stress of everything was so looming, that she decided there was no other option. She could always seek him out in the refectory during lunch hour, but she didn't recall ever seeing him there.

The sound of her cell phone going off from the table roused Keiko from her thoughts. Unfortunately, it also reminded her of the frustrating money situation, as she was going to have to figure out how to pay her phone bill as well. She brushed the thought aside and walked over to the table to answer the phone.

"Keiko-chan! It's Misa, what are you up to? You seemed really weird on Friday, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Keiko sat down at one of the wooden chairs, running her hand through her hair nervously. "Um, yeah, I'm okay. I just didn't feel very well," she answered. She was still pretty scared to tell anyone about the whole 'being forced out of her own house' thing, but someone was sure to figure it out sometime. Even after only two days, Keiko felt like she looked messier than usual without all of the normal beauty products she used.

 _Ugh… I'm even starting to look like a commoner._

"Actually, Misa, I think I might need to skip out on Science Club tomorrow, would you let Tanaka know that I won't be there? I sort of have to take care of something," Keiko asked sheepishly. Her friend Misa was also a member of the Science Club, and she was actually the main reason that Keiko joined. Misa did well in biology, and Keiko did well in physics, so they often helped each other study. When Misa invited her to the Club when they were first-years, it was an amazing opportunity. Keiko's parents were both heavily invested in scientific fields because of the company, so she had hoped it would impress them.

"Sure Keiko-chan, you've been working so hard lately you can take the whole week off! I'm sure nobody will mind, where are you going tomorrow?"

"Well… don't take this the wrong way, but I'm actually thinking of visiting the Host Club tom-" Keiko was cut off mid-sentence by the other girl squealing loudly. She tried to explain that she wasn't going to dote on cute boys, but Misa wasn't hearing it.

"Oh my goodness, Keiko! I can't believe you're going to visit the Host Club, you're going to like it so much!"

"I doubt it," Keiko mumbled.

"Don't be such a grump, Keiko-chan! Who are you going to request!? I had cake with Honey and Mori the other day, they're so sweet and Honey is so adorable!" The girl was practically gushing, clearly she had been stricken by these hosts.

"Well, I needed to talk to Fujioka-san, so-"

"Oh, Haruhi-kun is so cute, you're going to love him! He's a commoner, but he's so fun to talk to! You have to tell me all about it!"

Keiko had to suppress a groan. Clearly there was no getting through to her. "Alright, Misa-chan, I'll tell you all about it, I promise."

Misa laughed. "You better. I have to go, the servants are about to serve dinner. Talk to you later!"

They hung up, and Keiko set the phone back down on the table. She grabbed a banana from her small fruit stash in the kitchen and ate quietly. She would go to the Host Club tomorrow and find this Haruhi, and hopefully she could get some help.

Now that Keiko was standing outside of Music Room #3, the entire idea seemed silly. Haruhi was just a commoner, he wouldn't know how to help find her money or inherit a company. What had she even been thinking? How was learning about some commoner supermarket going to impress her parents?

 _Well, I've already walked all the way over here. I might as well give it a shot._

Keiko reached out and touched the door handle, pausing for a moment before turning and pushing the door open. A burst of bright light and a flurry of rose petals greeted her as soon as the door opened. The Host Club was there, all of them standing in formation facing towards her. Keiko's face reddened, not liking all of the sudden attention on her. She had meant to come a little bit later when all of the usual guests had already arrived so that she could slip in unnoticed, but it seemed she had arrived too early.

"Greetings princess," Tamaki spoke in a sing-song voice, before looking up to meet her eyes. Recognition flashed across his face; after all Keiko was in class 2-A, the same as both Tamaki Suoh and Kyoya Ootori. Although, she had rather hoped they wouldn't recognize her, at least so quickly. That had probably been a foolish hope though, it was universal knowledge among their class that Ootori pretty much knew anything there was to know about anyone in the school. Most students were related to some rich or famous person, so everyone was encouraged to be familiar with who they were going to school with, but this guy took it to an extreme. She had heard her parents discussing the Ootori Group at home occasionally, which wasn't surprising due to the Ootori's notoriety especially in the medical field. The Ishida family specialized mainly in Biotechnologies and biomedical engineering, so she wouldn't have been surprised to learn that her family did business with them. Maybe the Ootori family was responsible for all the endless meetings with her parents, but Keiko was never involved in that sort of thing so she couldn't be sure. The two families could be huge rivals, for all she knew.

"Ah, a first-timer," the twins said together in unison. Creepy. She didn't recognize them, she was only acquainted with the two second-years and had heard of Fujioka, but besides what she had heard about from other schoolgirls, the rest were complete strangers to her.

Tentatively, she walked towards the group. She recognized Haruhi Fujioka immediately, as a few of the girls she knew liked to talk about his 'cute brown eyes' and his almost feminine appearance.

"I've never seen you around here before, Princess Keiko," Tamaki said in that weird smooth voice. "Could it be that you've finally decided to come visit me at the Host Club?"

All of the other hosts, save for Ootori and the tall one, seemed to perk up when Tamaki addressed her by name. "Do you know her, Tama-chan?" The shortest one asked in a cute voice, holding a pink stuffed bunny tightly against his chest.

 _That must be the one Misa was talking about… his name was Honey?_

Kyoya answered for him. "Not personally, he doesn't, but Miss Keiko Ishida is in class 2-A, the same as Tamaki and I. Actually, she's the only girl in the class who hasn't visited the Host Club yet," he said as he was thumbing through a black notebook.

"So, my princess," Tamaki whispered as he draped an arm around her shoulder and with the other hand, presented a rose. He was leaning in his face next to hers, merely inches away. She was sure it drove many girls wild, but she was trying to resist squirming under his intense gaze. "What will it be? The Boy Lolita? The Wild Type? How about the Little Devil Type, or the Cool type? Maybe you'd prefer the Princely Type… or even our newest Host, the Natural Type!"

Types? She didn't know anything about types. What in the world was this Club, anyway? They all gazed at her expectantly, once again Keiko wished she had shown up later.

"Well Suoh-san, I don't know anything about that but I was hoping to speak to Haruhi, if that's-"

"My little Haruhi! Our new guest, Princess Keiko has requested youuuuuuuuu!" Tamaki was jumping around enthusiastically and shouting, while Haruhi just ignored him and approached Keiko.

"Sorry about Tamaki-senpai, he acts a little crazy sometimes," Haruhi told her with a friendly smile. "Why don't we go sit down? I can make some tea if you want."

Keiko nodded. "That sounds lovely Haruhi, thank you."

Guests began to flood inside the large music room as Haruhi poured the steaming hot tea into a few cups. The tea set was very extravagant; Keiko could tell that the Host Club spared no expenses for their guests. As the customers found their favorite hosts and crowded around them, Keiko began to feel nervous. She wasn't aware how busy it got in here, and she was hoping to speak to Haruhi briefly and get the hell out of there, but if someone else came to talk to Haruhi then she would lose her chance.

"Hey, Haruhi?" asked Keiko as he finished pouring the tea and sat down next to her. "You're a commoner, right? Do you ever… cook or do your family's shopping or anything like that?"

Haruhi blinked. "Well yeah actually, I do all of the shopping and most of the cooking since my mom died and my dad's always working. Why do you ask, Miss?"

Keiko tapped her cup nervously, too anxious to take a sip. "Oh, I'm so sorry about your mother, I had no idea," she said quietly.

"It's okay. I miss her a lot, but I know she's watching down on me. I talk to her picture a lot at home, and it makes me feel better when I'm sad. Actually, she left an old cookbook with lots of recipes that I've tried out," Haruhi said, piquing Keiko's interest. Maybe she could ask for Haruhi's help after all.

"It's good that you're not letting it bring you down, Haruhi," replied Keiko. "It's funny that you mention that because, well…" she was at a loss for words. Keiko had no idea how to ask for help, she was usually much too prideful for such a thing but right now she had no choice. So why was it so hard to get it out? Perhaps because she knew that Haruhi would question her motives. "I was actually wondering if you could teach me how to cook a few simple things? I'm interested in learning, but I don't really have anyone who can teach me. If you don't mind, of course!"

An awkward silence hung in the air for just a few seconds, but it was enough to make Keiko's face redden once again. Haruhi seemed a little surprised. "You want to learn how to cook? But… why?"

 _Great. I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I guess I should just be honest with him…_

Keiko lowered her voice to a whisper. "Well, the thing is, I've sort of been living on my own the past couple of days because of some family business and I've never had to cook or do chores before, so…"

"You've never done chores before? Well," Haruhi mused, tapping her chin. "I can show you some recipes, but it has to be after school one day this week when I'm not too busy," she said. Immediately Keiko felt a surge of relief. She felt a little bad about asking him such a strange favor, but still she was so grateful.

"Thank you so much, Haruhi. I swear I'll repay you somehow, thank you!" Keiko thanked him profusely, bowing her head. Some of the burden that had been weighing down on her shoulders was starting to ease away for the first time in a few days, and she really did make it up in her mind to repay Haruhi any way that she could.

"It's really no problem, Keiko-senpai," Haruhi replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "I'm glad to help, really."

Keiko smiled widely. She gave Haruhi her cell phone number and noticed a couple of girls heading over to speak with the host, so she quickly gave a farewell and headed for the door.

Club hours had just ended. Haruhi cleaned up the the tea trays that she had used for her guests and sat with the other hosts. Today had been a good day; her request rate seemed to be steadily increasing lately, according to Kyoya, which hopefully meant that she would no longer be indebted to the Host Club soon.

"Hey Haruhi," called out Tamaki. "Your new customer ran out pretty quickly, did something happen?"

"What, Keiko-senpai? Everything's alright, she was just asking for my help with something. It did seem a little weird, I guess."

Everyone turned to look at her, suddenly interested. "Weird how?" voiced the twins.

"I don't know, it just seemed like she was hiding something. She was so nervous, she didn't even touch her tea," Haruhi said, recalling how fidgety Keiko had been earlier. "I'm not sure that it's any of you guys' business though.

"All affairs between hosts and our customers is absolutely our business," stated Kyoya. "We wouldn't want anything to detract your work here at the Host Club, would we?"

Haruhi sighed. "She's not going to detract from the Host Club, Kyoya-senpai. It's really not that big of a deal. She said she was interested in learning some cooking recipe and things like that, so I said that I would show her some things. I've told some of my customers about my mom's cookbook before, so she probably heard about it from that."

At this, Kyoya raised an eyebrow. He wrote something down in his black notebook and then opened his laptop, saying nothing else on the matter.

"You should teach her how to make some cake, Haru-chan! Making cake is so much fun, but eating it is even more fun!" shouted Honey, jumping on to her back.

"Mommy!" snapped Tamaki, pointing an accusatory finger at Kyoya. "Don't you dare discourage our little Haruhi from female companionship! Hanging out with other girls would bring out her inner femininity, don't you know anything?!" Haruhi groaned, regretting bringing any of it up.

"But boss," interjected Kaoru. "The last time you wanted Haruhi to have female companionship, she ended up with a girlfriend," finished Hikaru.

Tamaki froze, then glared at the twins. "My little girl does not have a girlfriend! Keiko will be a good influence on her, I know it this time!"

Annoyed with their squabbling, Haruhi sighed, grabbed her bag and walked towards the door.


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later, Keiko and Haruhi had made plans over the phone to meet up at Haruhi's home during the weekend to go over some basic cooking lessons. As it turned out, the two didn't actually live that far from each other; Keiko's apartment was only a couple of blocks away from Haruhi, since there were a couple of apartment compounds in the area. Right after she woke up, Keiko hastily threw on some of the casual clothes she had salvaged from her drawers after being told she was kicked out. She was out the door in a minute, excited to leave her dreary apartment and go learn about the commoner lifestyle.

After about five minutes of brisk walking, she was already at Haruhi's compound. There were fewer apartments there than there were at Keiko's compound, so the apartment number that Haruhi had given her was pretty easy to find. She searched a moment for a doorbell and, unable to find one, settled for a quick knock on the door. After a few seconds the door opened, and…

"Haruhi?"

He… no, she was standing there, holding the door open. She was wearing a snug pink blouse with girlish-looking capris, much to Keiko's surprise. Haruhi was very petite, but even so her clothes complemented her feminine features that were normally easily hidden by the Ouran Academy uniform. She had noticed that Haruhi had a somewhat girlish appearance, but she had no idea.

Haruhi just smiled. "Hey, Keiko-senpai. Come on in," she said, seemingly unfazed by the surprised look on Keiko's face. Nodding meekly, Keiko followed her inside and, noticing a pair of shoes next to the door, slipped hers off next to them.

Haruhi's home was pretty similar in size to Keiko's own apartment. However, Haruhi's place just had a more homey and comfortable aura about it. Even though the two apartments were about the same size, Keiko didn't get the stifling, cramped feeling inside as when she walked into her own apartment, which was strange. Maybe she should try to decorate her own apartment more, make it feel like an actual home. Right now, Keiko's apartment felt about as inviting as a prison cell as soon as she stepped inside. Haruhi's furniture and decorations were very charming, and there were a couple of family pictures scattered about that caught Keiko's eye.

She turned her attention back to Haruhi, still confused about her new discovery. "So… you're a girl?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," Haruhi said nonchalantly, as if she hadn't even noticed. "I have to dress like a guy because I owe a debt to the Host Club. It's a lot easier to pay off it off as a host, anyway."

Keiko's eyes widened. "A debt? That sounds kind of iffy, is everything alright? Did you steal from them or something?"

The other girl chuckled at her notion. "No no, it's nothing like that. I just broke some vase of theirs by accident. I know it's a school for rich kids, but I still can't believe that they had a vase worth 8 million yen just lying around…"

Keiko sat down by the table next to Haruhi, feeling a genuine smile pull at her lips for the first time in days. "So they forced you to become a host after you broke it? Is that when you started dressing like a boy?"

"Pretty much. Well, at first they just had me running around and doing these stupid errands, mostly shopping. They all mistook me for a boy at first, which is how I got roped into being a host. I don't really mind it though; who cares if people think I'm a boy or not? It's not like it matters, anyway. I think that people should look at you based on who you are inside."

Keiko nodded thoughtfully, intrigued with the wisdom behind Haruhi's outlook. It was too often among the aristocracy that one's worth was judged on who they were or who they were related to or what they had or what they were going to inherit. It was rare to meet someone who didn't let material ideas define them, but she guessed that maybe it was normal for commoners to feel that way, or at least more so than the kind of people that Keiko was used to being around. It felt nice, not being scrutinized and sized up by somebody else. "I think you're very right, Haruhi. I wish I knew more people who felt that way, honestly."

"Yeah? I've been meaning to ask, Keiko-senpai… You were pretty vague the other day about your situation, so I was just wondering what all this is about? I mean, I've known some of these rich people who are just interested in 'commoner' things, but this seems different."

Keiko pursed her lips for a moment, avoiding Haruhi's gaze. The girl's brown eyes made her look so young, so innocent. Keiko was so hesitant to tell anybody about what had truly happened between her and her parents, and she most certainly did not want anyone's pity. But… Haruhi had been straightforward with her, and she felt some semblance of gratitude for that, so she decided that she should do the same.

"My family runs this company- Ishida Tech. The company was founded by my grandfather, and it was passed on to my father who wanted to go even bigger than my grandfather did. With his help, the company has flourished. Originally the company only specialized in biotechnological research and equipment, but now it has several other major branches. Anyway, my father cares a lot about this company, and he doesn't want to see it fall just because of something like poor management. He and my mom decided that they wouldn't let me inherit the company until I proved that I show the same ambition." Keiko paused, glancing down towards her lap. "They thought a good way for me to prove my worth was to leave me with nothing but a small apartment and my education, and to see where I went from there."

It was silent. Keiko's face had reddened slightly after her confession. She looked up after a minute to see Haruhi watching her thoughtfully.

"I guess I can see where your dad is coming from, since he cares so much about your family's company. I just think that making you live on your own is a weird way for your parents to inspire you to take on the company someday."

Keiko shrugged. "I thought the same thing, but he's always felt very strongly about hard work and earning what you have and all that, a lot more than most people. I remember my mother saying once that we had enough money to never work a day in our lives and still live comfortably, and my father got pretty angry about it… so I guess it sort of makes sense."

"It sounds to me like he just doesn't want you to become lazy and to just hand you the company," thought Haruhi aloud, rubbing her chin, earning Keiko's surprise yet again. "I mean, there was probably a better way for him to do it, but I think that he's doing it because he cares about you, even if he has a funny way of showing it."

Keiko was floored. She hadn't even told Haruhi about her father's cold nature, or how her parents were almost never around but she seemed to have already taken that into account. Maybe sending her out of the Ishida's family home was some strange, indirect way for her parents to show that they did care.

"I don't really know," she mumbled dryly. "If he wants to show me he cares that badly couldn't he have picked some other way to do it? I mean, how is cooking and cleaning going to help me run a company? It's not like they've ever shown sympathy for _this,_ " she gestured to her surroundings, "kind of lifestyle. I don't know what value they think it holds for me at all." She didn't think about the offense her words might have caused to Haruhi and so she didn't think anything of Haruhi's miffed sigh. Thankfully, Haruhi was used to this kind of attitude by now what with spending so much time around the Host Club. Everyone she had met among the upper classes always seemed to be painfully aware of the class difference between themselves and Haruhi, and they certainly weren't afraid to acknowledge it. They felt they were above everyone else, that's just how it was.

"Haruhi… please, I'd like it if this stayed between us. I don't want anybody to…" Keiko trailed off awkwardly.

After a minute, Haruhi offered her a warm smile. "You know, you don't need to judge your worth or feel embarrassed just because of your situation. You're still the same person you were when you lived with your parents, nothing has changed about the kind of person you are. Of course," she added, "Your secret is safe with me. I promise. Come on, Keiko-senpai. You did want me to show you some recipes, didn't you?"

Haruhi had stood and was offering her a hand, since Keiko was still seated on the floor. Keiko was gaping at the other girl and couldn't shake the shock from Haruhi's words. She smiled back after a few seconds, and took Haruhi's hand.

As silly as it was, Keiko was beginning to feel very comfortable around Haruhi. They had been candid with each other and somehow it had given her a sense of relief. This was honestly the best she had felt in days.

"Hmm… we should probably start with a simple recipe… Oh! How about this one, Keiko-senpai? It's a recipe for homemade gyoza. I've made them a few times, I think you'll like them! Plus, if you have some left over, they're always a good thing to take to lunch the next day."

Keiko glanced over to the page in the cookbook that Haruhi had pointed out. Despite her eagerness to learn, she felt intimidated by the long list of ingredients on the page. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Haruhi told her, smiling. "Don't worry, it's simple. Let me show you! Okay… so first we have to chop the vegetables. We have cabbage, onion, and carrots right over here, so let me show you how to cut them without cutting your finger."

Keiko grinned, and followed Haruhi's instructions. At first, the confusing array of ingredients and directions were hard to follow, and she found herself checking the each instruction two or three times before actually following it. She didn't want to mess anything up, Keiko had no idea that cooking would be so complicated! This needed basting, and these needed dicing, and that needed to be shredded, and those needed to be marinated… it was just so much! Fairly soon, she and Haruhi had settled into a sort of rhythm, and Keiko even found it all sort of relaxing.

"Hey, you're not too bad at this, Keiko-senpai!"

Keiko laughed nervously in response. "Are you sure? I feel like there's no way I haven't messed something up by now."

"I'm positive." Haruhi paused. "Why don't you borrow my mom's cookbook for a little while? I think you can handle yourself with most of these recipes."

Keiko put down the meat she had been cutting, turning to face Haruhi. "Are… are you sure? I mean… I went to the supermarket the other day and I couldn't go thirty seconds without getting lost," she said, shuddering at the memory.

Haruhi just grunted in amusement. The mental image of Keiko wandering around the supermarket like a lost child was pretty silly, but it just reminded her how different rich people's lifestyle really was. They didn't need to run to the supermarket every weekend, or figure out what ingredients they needed for a recipe, or memorize where certain things were at the supermarket. It was a completely different life somehow, but still similar in some ways.

For a minute, Haruhi's thoughts drifted to Hikaru and Kaoru. They were wealthy and could have almost anything they wanted at a moment's notice, but they were some of the loneliest people she had ever met, after getting to know them. After Haruhi's mom passed away, she had never felt so alone. She may not have the twins' money or social status but despite their differences, they had still felt that same hollow pit of loneliness.

After a couple of hours, the two had made gyoza, chicken katsu, an entire stew, soba, and a couple of crab cakes. All of the dishes were neatly laid out across the table, pretty enough for a picture. The two girls were finishing up cleaning the kitchen when they realized just how much food they had made.

"I think we got a little carried away," mumbled Haruhi, sweatdropping.

"Yeah…" Keiko agreed. "What are we going to do with all of this food?"

"You should take some of it home with you, Keiko-senpai. Most of this stuff is pretty good as leftovers, so it'll definitely keep you fed for a few days," said Haruhi. "I've got lots of other food here so I don't really need any more leftovers right now."

 _Well… it's a lot better than just bananas._

A knocking at Haruhi's front door startled the pair.

"Oh, are you expecting anyone, Haruhi?" Keiko asked, beginning to feel a little guilty; she had stayed for so long and hadn't even asked if Haruhi had other plans. After they had finished their first meal, Keiko had been so eager to dive into more recipes, unfortunately losing track of the time. Whoever was behind the door was seemingly pretty impatient, because they knocked again a few seconds later.

"No, I'm not. This better not be another surprise visit…" Haruhi said, walking over to the door to look through the eyehole.

 _Surprise visit?_

Haruhi turned around to look at her, with a weirdly dejected expression on her face. "It's that damn Host Club. They stopped by for an unexpected visit a few weeks ago and I seriously didn't think that they would do it again. I guess I shouldn't put anything past these morons," she muttered. "I should just ignore them," Haruhi mused aloud, but she found herself reaching for the door handle anyway.

For whatever reason, Keiko panicked. "What? The Host Club? Should I hide?" but Haruhi was already opening the door. She didn't even know why hiding had come into her mind, it was kind of silly. No… very silly. Without a single thought, Keiko ducked down behind the counter where she was standing, not really wanting to be seen here of all places by a bunch of Ouran students.

"Hey, Haruhi! That's a pretty cute outfit!" she heard the twins say after the door finally swung open. Haruhi ignored their comment, and Keiko was frozen in alarm.

"Why are you guys here? Can't somebody at least call and let me know that you're coming? One of these days I'm just not going to answer the door," mumbled Haruhi, gesturing for them to come inside anyway.

"Sorry to drop by like this again," remarked Kyoya, not sounding even remotely apologetic. "We were in the area, and Tamaki wanted to discuss some ideas for future Club events. Summer will be here before we know it, and we still have a substantial quota to fill before then."

"I see." Haruhi's tone was a little derisive, as Tamaki had already begun doting on her. "There's no escape from you guys, is there?

"Hmph, I forgot how cramped it was in here," remarked one of the twins disdainfully, and was then shushed quickly by Tamaki. "What did I tell you two shady twins about not embarrassing her?!" Haruhi pointedly ignored them.

"Haruhi! What is that lovely smell?!" cried Tamaki with excitement, shuffling inside along with the rest of the group. They all removed their shoes and more or less made themselves comfortable. "Have you been cooking? I would love to try some of my daughter's lovely cooking!"

An agitated sigh escaped Haruhi before she perked up, an idea coming to her as she watched Tamaki and the twins fawning over the assortment of dishes conveniently laid out across the dining room table. She didn't know why they were acting so impressed by it all, they all surely saw much finer meals than that on a daily basis. "What a coincidence Keiko-senpai, we may not have to wrap all this food up after all," she called out towards the kitchen, much to the confusion of the Host Club.

"Who are you talking to, Haru-chan?" Honey asked with wide eyes.

"Don't tell us you've gone nuts," voiced the twins.

Haruhi turned around, confused at the apparent disappearance of the other girl she had just been cooking with. "Keiko-senpai?"

Keiko quickly jumped to her feet, cheeks slightly colored pink in embarrassment. "Um, sorry Haruhi! I was just, uh… tying my shoelace!" She avoided looking at the boys but she could feel them all staring at her in surprise. Nobody said anything for a few seconds.

 _Oh gosh… could I have said anything more stupid? Why are they even here, anyway?_

"Um… your shoes are over there by the door, Keiko-senpai." Haruhi said simply, to which Keiko laughed nervously.

Haruhi turned again to face the Host Club. Keiko noticed how they casually they were all dressed. Obviously their clothes were all very finely made and expensive, but they just seemed so laid back there, in Haruhi's small apartment home. "Well, the two of us made all this food and we weren't sure what to do with it, so I guess you guys are welcome to stay for lunch," Haruhi told them, seemingly not aware yet of the tension that had arisen in the room.

Tamaki was the first to break the weird silence that had befallen the room. "Haruhi!" he whispered loudly, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "Did you forget to put your boy clothes on today? Why are you hosting guests in your own home, anyway?! Shouldn't that be against the rules? Mommy!" he shouted, turning to Kyoya. "Our little girl is going behind our back!"

Huh. Keiko was in the same class as Tamaki so she knew he could act a little bonkers sometimes, but this was just odd. He usually had that host persona on even when they were in class, always making the girls in class swoon in class. She was pretty much seeing a whole other side of him for the first time.

Kyoya just sighed at him. "I know you have an overactive imagination, but please try and calm down a little, Tamaki."

Haruhi just stared at him, an eye twitching in annoyance. "I'm not an idiot, senpai. Keiko and I are hanging out. I don't think you really need to be prying into my personal life," her comment seemed to send Tamaki into a shock, because he curled up into a corner and started pouting.

"Mmmm, Haruhi, these potstickers are delicious!" The twins were pretty much gorging on all of the food that they had made, eating so fast that Keiko didn't even know how they were tasting any of it. "You're an amazing cook!"

Everyone was crowded around Haruhi's dining table on the floor, some seeming to enjoy the meal more than others- Honey had brought his own cake and was now eating that and offering to share it with everybody (he had brought plenty). The awkward tension when Keiko had first revealed herself to everybody seemed to have disappeared as the boys were now laughing and joking with each other. To Keiko's surprise, they all seemed to be pretty protective of Haruhi which was probably why they had all been so shocked when Keiko popped up from behind the counter. For that reason, most of the boys' attention seemed to be devoted to Haruhi, so Keiko didn't say much which she was glad for. Tamaki and the twins did most of the talking however; Honey seemed content with his cake and the tall one who hung around Honey didn't really say much. Kyoya made a comment every so often, but otherwise was also silent. The hosts had recognized her as 'Haruhi's weird guest from the other day,' as the twins had said callously which had earned them a glare from Haruhi. She had been formally introduced to the boys, and was a little surprised how different they seemed in this setting.

"Thanks, but Keiko-senpai did most of the actual cooking. I just gave her some advice," said Haruhi, which made them all look at her again. Keiko felt her face beginning to heat up; she wasn't really shy by nature but she definitely wasn't used to being caught in situations like this, what with a bunch of hosts staring at her. It didn't help that she was a bit self-conscious about being caught in a commoner's home by some of Ouran Academy's most notable students, which they would almost certainly find suspicious.

"So Keiko," said the twins, closing in on either side of her. "How is it that you and Haruhi were hanging out today, anyway?" Yep, there it was.

"Yeah," Tamaki said, also curious. "I didn't think she talked to that many people outside of Host Club stuff. I think you're the only one at our school now besides the Club who knows now that she's really a girl…"

Trying not to seem too suspicious, Keiko forced herself to stay calm unlike when the club members had first walked in. She wished she had prepared some kind of story for this, but she had no idea that they were going to stop by. She wanted to say something, but Haruhi beat her to it.

"Keiko-senpai and I talked at the Host Club the other day and she wanted to learn how to cook, so I offered to teach her. So, she came over today. It's not really that big of a deal, you guys."

The twins each raised an eyebrow at Haruhi in unison, somehow. "So why didn't you just offer her to show her at school or something? Ouran has a couple of student kitchens that would be a lot better for learning how to cook." said one of them. "And you even revealed your identity as a girl!" finished the other. Although she didn't know which twin was which, she saw one of them giving her a strange glare, something in between anger and confusion. She met his eyes for a moment, before quickly looking away. She didn't know what she had done to make the twin angry, so she just opted to ignore him.

"Well, I didn't feel like going through all the trouble to hide that I was a girl. I need to do laundry anyway so I couldn't really find any clothes that didn't make me look like a girl. Lay off, you guys. She's not going to tell anyone."

Keiko sweatdropped. She had thought that Haruhi had consciously decided to trust her with a secret, but it turns out she really didn't care how she was seen one way or another. She had only found out about Haruhi's secret because of… laundry? As ridiculous as it was, it just made Keiko like Haruhi even more.

"So what you're saying is…" Tamaki mumbled, a suspicious glint in his eye. "Our little Haruhi has a real girl friend after all? She has finally found much needed female companionship… Keiko-san here can keep Haruhi away from those shady twins!" He danced around the room for a minute, reveling in his realization before pushing the twins away to sit next to Keiko, much to their annoyance. "So tell me Keiko-san, how are you liking the company of our little girl? She's such a precious sweetheart, isn't she?"

Keiko smiled at him. This guy was certainly a lot, but his silly antics did make her feel a little more relaxed. "Yeah, Haruhi's great. She did me a big favor today, and I really appreciate it." As soon as the words left her mouth, Keiko realized she may have let too much slip. Nobody really seemed to notice Keiko's comment… hopefully. Asking commoners for favors like this wasn't really commonplace among the upper class, and the boys were surely aware of that. If any of them caught on, they didn't show it.

After a couple minutes of questioning Keiko and Haruhi's cooking habits, which was kind of strange, the boys left her alone.

 _'Is Haruhi good at cooking?'_

 _'Does Haru-chan wear a cute apron when she cooks? I bet she would look cute with a bunny apron.'_

 _'Have you ever had commoner cooking, Keiko-san? Isn't it so fascinating?'_

They had apparently came to talk to Haruhi about some trip they were planning for the Host Club, so Keiko felt that she should go. After all, she had only come to learn a few recipes and now Haruhi was busy with Host Club planning, so she didn't want to accidentally overstay her welcome… maybe commoners were stingy about that sort of thing. She stood silently while the group was arguing about something and went to the kitchen to wrap up some of the leftovers for dinner that night. She wanted to say goodbye to Haruhi and thank her personally for all of the help, but she seemed to be pretty engaged in her conversation with the other hosts and Keiko didn't want to interrupt them, so she just opted to scribble a quick note. The last thing she wanted was all of their attention on her again, for some reason it made her uncomfortable.

' _Haruhi- Thank you so much for your help today, it means so much to me. I fully intend to repay you for this, and so I will pay you back for all of the food when I can. If there is anything I can do to help you in any way, please let me know. –Keiko Ishida'_

She wasn't sure what else to write, so she just left the note on the counter and quickly shuffled towards the door. Keiko was slipping on her shoes by the front door when she was caught.

"Excuse me, Ishida-san?"

Keiko turned around slowly, a little surprised to have heard her name when she thought she would be able to slip out unnoticed. It was Kyoya standing there coolly, a seemingly pleasant smile on his face. He was leaning to the side slightly; she couldn't see his eyes through the glare of his glasses which was almost unnerving.

"Ootori-san?"

He didn't waste a second getting to the point. She got the feeling he was not a wasteful person, even in words. Eloquent, yes, but far from wasteful. "I trust you know about Haruhi's arrangement with the Host Club, am I correct in that assumption?"

She nodded, not fully understanding why he had brought it up so suddenly. They were very much aware of each other's family background and the power that each of their families had, even though she had never spoken to him in person. It was relatively normal for members of the aristocracy to always be somewhat familiar with whomever they spoke to; everything was a power play and any blunders could have serious consequences.

"Haruhi still owes us a significant debt, and hosting for the Club is the easiest way to earn that money back to us. That being said, I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't let anyone know about her true sex," he said, pushing up his glasses from the bridge of his nose. "I wouldn't want any problems to arise, after all."

The silence that hung in the air after he spoke was heavy, they both knew the true meaning of his words. For a moment, Keiko was a little impressed how his words could be somehow so polite yet so threatening, although she didn't let that show.

"I understand," she said simply. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement and wasted no time in leaving; Keiko turned to open the door and closed it quietly behind her.

 **Hello! This took me a little longer than I had hoped to get out, I had outlined this chapter and where I wanted it to go and then it turned out being about twice the size I had expected it to be, so I did a lot of revising and cut some content for the next chapter. I'm very excited for this story and where it's going to go, I have so many devious plans... I hope you enjoy it as well :)**


	4. Chapter 4

"Haruhi, you really need to get a passport," the twins were saying. "We want to take you around the world! Don't you want to go somewhere interesting over summer break?"

"I don't need a passport, I'm fine staying here," she replied flatly. She looked around the room, noticing the absence of the other girl. "Wait… where did Keiko-senpai go?"

Everyone seemed surprised. They had been so wrapped up in the conversation and their usual banter that they haven't even noticed the other girl leave.

"Maybe Kay-chan is playing hide and go seek?" Honey suggested, peeking inside one of Haruhi's closets.

"No way," said Hikaru offhandedly. "This place is so small, it's not like she could find an actual hiding spot."

"Shut it," grumbled Haruhi, giving the twin a sideways look. He shrugged innocently back at her.

Everyone looked around for a few minutes, wondering why Keiko would have left so suddenly without a farewell. All except for one of them, of course. Kyoya was standing calmly, taking the opportunity to thumb through his black notebook, which he suddenly and inexplicably had on his person.

After several minutes of searching, the group concluded that she must have left. "I just don't know why Keiko-senpai would have left without saying anything," said Haruhi, pacing in and out of her kitchen. "Hey… she forgot to take the cookbook," she mumbled to nobody in particular, noticing that the book was still sitting there on the counter where they had left it, still open from the last recipe they had been using.

"I hope everything is okay with Keiko," Tamaki said, having followed Haruhi into the kitchen along with the rest of the group. "She's been acting quieter than usual in class lately. We didn't even get to bid our new maiden farewell…"

Haruhi looked up at him. "I keep forgetting you and Kyoya-senpai are in the same class as her. What do you mean, she's been acting quiet?"

Tamaki ran a hand through his blonde hair as he often did, a habit that had likely developed from some need to appear graceful and alluring at all times. "Well, Keiko-san usually is very lively in class. She's always very engaged in lectures and is eager to help out our other classmates. Lately though, it's like she's been avoiding everyone."

"Hey, what's this?" asked two voices from the other side of the kitchen. Haruhi glanced over to see Hikaru holding a small note that had been on the counter, and Kaoru standing right behind him, reading over his shoulder. "It's from Keiko!" the two announced.

"Presumably, she wrote it right before she left earlier," Kyoya said. "It's probably about the leftover food that she was taking with her, I did notice she was carrying some of it when she walked out."

Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to look at him.

"What?" Kyoya asked innocently. "She was just leaving, I didn't think it was relevant to anything in particular."

"You saw Keiko leaving and didn't tell anybody, Kyoya?!" Tamaki was flustered. "Mommy and daddy aren't supposed to keep secrets between each other, you know! That's Haruhi's new friend!"

Kyoya said nothing, his features blank. Clearly he hadn't been paying attention just a few minutes earlier when the entire Club was scouring the apartment to figure out where Keiko had gone.

"Uh… boss, I think you should come have a look at this note, that girl must have left it," said the twins together, who were reading said note closely. Tamaki glanced up curiously, but Haruhi marched over to them and snatched the note from their hands, clearly agitated.

"Seriously, you two?! This note was none of your business, you shouldn't have even touched it!" It was too late; Hikaru and Kaoru were already very interested. When they wanted something, they would do anything to get it, even if it meant playing dirty. _Especially_ if it wasn't something that they weren't supposed to know about.

"Why so defensive, Haruhi?" Kaoru asked.

"Do you know even who that girl is, Haruhi? She's an _Ishida_ , so why is she indebted to you? She can't afford her own food? What's really going on here?" finished Hikaru; both of them staring at her with a hard gaze. Tamaki was gaping in confusion.

"You know, I'm not sure if we're taking this whole Keiko business seriously enough," said Hikaru who had crossed his arms, suddenly wary of the entire situation. "I mean, how do we know that she isn't going to spill Haruhi's secret? We shouldn't have let her walk so easily!"

"Don't worry, I've already taken care of that," Kyoya interjected. "I had a little chat with her as she was leaving. As a member of the Ishida family, she is surely aware of my family's influence, and I'm certain that she is also well aware of the repercussions of spilling Haruhi's secret."

Tamaki and Haruhi looked at him, stunned.

"A little chat, huh?" she asked, more than a little aggravated. She suspected it had been more than a chat as Kyoya claimed, but she wasn't too eager to speak out about it. Knowing him, he'd probably just add half a million yet to her debt with them.

"So you mean to tell me," started Tamaki, marching up to Kyoya, "that you saw her going and didn't tell anybody?" Kyoya crossed his arms and leaned to the side, clearly not wanting to be berated for this. "And you _intimidated_ Haruhi's new friend? Now that she's finally making female friendships, she's going to embrace her identity as a girl!"

"It's probably for the best," interjected Hikaru. "Sorry boss, but your fantasies aren't worth this girl blabbing about Haruhi to the entire Academy. You never answered my question Haruhi, what's really going on with that Ishida girl?"

Kyoya glanced at the note in Haruhi's hand with a sudden interest. Hikaru had said that Keiko Ishida was in debt to Haruhi, but how would that be possible? The Ishida family had almost enough wealth to rival the Ootori family, and their family's company was only growing. He kept himself up to date on the affairs of the Ootori Group's major business partners, and the Ishida family was no exception. His father had actually recently pointed out that since the Ishida family was making so many waves and the family's only daughter and apparent heiress was in the same class as him, it would be beneficial to make a good impression on her. Unfortunately, he and Keiko Ishida's first private conversation wasn't as pleasant as it should have been, but the secret of the Host Club needed to be protected, that much Kyoya knew. He wasn't going to voice that to the rest of them, though.

With all of that information, he knew that the Ishida family was as stable as ever, and so there was no reason that the only daughter of the family would be so penniless as to owe Haruhi money, of all people. The Host Club made more profit in a matter of days than Haruhi had probably had possessed her entire life. If the Ishida company was going under, he had received no word of it from his family or acquaintances.

Haruhi was fed up with Hikaru's questioning. "If you want to know so badly, then why don't you ask her yourself?" Haruhi shot back at the twins. The pair glanced at each other and shrugged. "Now if you guys don't mind, I have to figure out a way to apologize to Keiko for Kyoya threatening her!"

She gave the Host Club boys one of her signature death glares, so they all quickly backed out of the kitchen and left her alone. Once they had left, Haruhi sighed to herself, reading the note Keiko had left her.

Monday at school, things were finally starting to feel a little normal for Keiko again. It was still strange, having to walk to school and cook her own food, but it hadn't been as bad as before. Tamaki and Kyoya didn't say anything to her during class, hopefully meaning she had escaped the Host Club's suspicions. She could concentrate in class and talk to her friends in the Science Club without getting terrible anxiety. Actually… she was probably just feeling better from having actual food now. Eating bananas for every meal had been great and all, but it left her feeling weird and on edge all the time. Keiko was still unsure how she was going to convince her parents to let her go back home, but now she was at least determined to figure something out.

At lunchtime, Keiko crept to her locker to grab the food she had brought to eat. Students had to buy lunch at the Academy's refectory, and bringing leftovers would be a good way to start saving her money. She didn't know where she was going to eat though, if anyone at Ouran saw her carrying around a bento box they would probably start to ask questions. "I guess I'm just going to have to somewhere to eat alone," Keiko mumbled to herself, opening her locker.

The first thing to catch Keiko's eye was a small folded note lying atop her books. _Well, that definitely wasn't there this morning…,_ she thought to herself, tentatively picking up the note. She held it in a hands for a moment, before opening it to read the neat handwriting.

 _'Keiko, please meet me by the school gardens during lunch hour. I'd like to talk about what happened this weekend.'_

She turned the note over and reread it twice, looking for some kind of signature or hint as to who had left it there. The only people she had really seen over the weekend was Haruhi and the rest of the Host Club… couldn't they have bothered to sign it or something?

Keiko sighed and grabbed the bento, wrapped in a cloth so that people wouldn't immediately see what she was holding. She supposed she would meet this person in the gardens, as the only other option was searching for a quiet place to eat her lunch. She had no idea why someone would want to meet her in private.

Maybe someone from the Science Club had seen Keiko at the commoner's supermarket this weekend and wanted to question her. Maybe some crazy fangirl had seen her hanging out with Haruhi and was going to threaten her out of jealousy. Maybe someone in the Host Club had figured out her secret after all, and was planning to extort her. At the thought, Keiko immediately stopped in her tracks.

Would any of them do such a thing? Of course they would, they would all probably sell her out in a heartbeat for their own personal gain. Not only that, but they had seemed very protective of Haruhi and her secret. Letting it slip that Haruhi was really a girl would mean that she couldn't pay back her debt to the Club, which was most likely the reason they would be cautious about Keiko. Kyoya Ootori had even gone out of his way to make sure that Keiko knew not to tell anybody about Haruhi's true sex. She knew that the Ootori family was thorough, maybe he wanted to meet with her to be certain of Keiko's intentions?

The thought annoyed her. She wasn't going to tell anybody about Haruhi, and she certainly didn't have any reason to other than to start rumors and drama, which really wasn't on her priority list at the moment. Or ever, really. Keiko had much better things to do with her time, and she was sure that Ootori did as well.

She glanced at the note again. _Well, I guess I'll find out who left it soon enough…_

* * *

 **Much shorter than usual, so sorry about that! I have chapter 5 almost all the way written, so you can expect it within the next day or two :) Thank you for reviews, favs, and follows!**


	5. Chapter 5

Ouran Academy's gardens practically showcased the prestige of the entire school. Magnificent fountains and statues, the greenest grass you could ever find, the most gorgeous spring flowers. Not exactly a subtle place for a rendezvous, but probably as good a place as any at this school. Keiko strolled through the garden, looking all around for the person who had written the note. The gardens were fairly large with lots of nooks and crannies, so it was more than likely going to take a little bit of searching.

After a thorough search around the area, Keiko decided that whoever had wanted to meet her hadn't arrived yet… or someone was just playing some dumb trick on her. She felt silly as she took a seat on one of the elaborate marble benches near the rose garden, taking in all of her surroundings. There were several rose patches there, each of which containing a different shade of the flower. One patch had roses of deep reds, one with swirling pinks, blues and oranges, lavenders and pale greens. The roses were in full bloom, idyllic and yet not showing even a hint of their somber fate. Unwittingly, Keiko found herself seated next to the patch of roses that were probably the most vivid shade of yellow she had ever seen. They were nothing like the pale yellow, borderline obnoxious shade of yellow of Ouran Academy's high school girl's uniform. She leaned down to pick one for herself, momentarily mistaking the delicate petals for pure gold. _They must be golden_ , Keiko thought to herself, for that was surely the only explanation for how they managed to appear so radiant.

No matter how beautiful these roses appeared to be now, here in this garden in the height of spring, Keiko knew that they would surely wither away in the coming months of fall and deeper into the winter. The very thing that had made these flowers so beautiful would be stolen by the seasons, left with nothing but the dead remains of what was, and what could've been. It was a stupid thought, but… was she going to wither away into nothing like this flower, leaving behind nothing of merit or virtue? Would she find herself shining for a brief moment, only to have it all snatched away right from under her?

Keiko was so engrossed in her silly thoughts that when someone had tapped her shoulder, she nearly fell from her seat. She got back onto her feet and whirled around to see Haruhi standing there, looking a little shocked.

"Uhm… Sorry about that, Keiko-senpai. I didn't mean to scare you!"

"H-Haruhi? You're the one who left that note?"

Haruhi looked at her sheepishly. "Yeah… did I forget to sign it? Sorry about that, I was kind of in a rush this morning. I had to ask Kyoya-senpai to help me figure out where your locker was, and then it took me awhile to find it. The student locker area is pretty far away from my class."

Keiko sighed in relief, glad that it was only Haruhi and not one of the Host Club boys. She didn't know most of them very well, and some of them (especially a certain blonde) seemed sort of intense. Haruhi was easygoing and seemed to put Keiko's nerves at ease just by talking to her.

"It's alright, Haruhi," she said, noticing that the other girl was also carrying a bento box with her. "Why don't you eat here with me?"

"Sure," Haruhi said, taking a seat on the bench next to Keiko. "I brought leftovers from this weekend, we made some pretty good food, Keiko-senpai!"

Keiko smiled. "We sure do, Haruhi. In fact, I brought some of our leftovers for myself!"

They sat for a while, casually chatting and pecking at their food and enjoying their surroundings.

"It's pretty magnificent out here, huh? I've only been going to Ouran for a little while, but I still can't believe what I'm looking at sometimes. I guess I'm not used to such grandeur, you know?"

Keiko nodded faintly, opening her leftover gyoza from her and Haruhi's cooking session the other day. As she stared at the bento's contents, she realized that she and Haruhi were pretty different but… also kind of similar.

"You know Haruhi… I don't mean to be strange, but I feel comfortable around you and… well, we're pretty similar. Just think about it, you're a commoner getting used to living the life of a high-class student, while I was born into aristocracy, but now I'm getting used to the life of an everyday commoner," she paused, glancing at Haruhi.

"I think you're right, Keiko-senpai. Maybe there's a lot we could learn from each other."

She nodded, smiling warmly at Haruhi's friendly words. It was nice to be able to talk to someone casually, without false pretenses for the sake of who they were, or what affluently family they were from. "You know Fujioka, you aren't so bad for a commoner," she joked, smiling at Haruhi's feigned look of irritation.

"Watch who you're calling commoner! You just might end up as one yourself someday," teased Haruhi back at her. The two girls laughed aloud, their smiles real and genuine.

Unknowingly to the pair, a small group of boys were crouched nearby, inching closer and straining to hear what the two girls were saying to each other. It was the entirety of the Host Club, although some of them looked like they'd rather be somewhere else.

"What are they saying, Hikaru?!" demanded Tamaki. "Daddy wants to know what's so funny!"

"Maybe if you'd stop whining so I could hear them, Boss," grumbled Hikaru. He was leaning on Kaoru's shoulder, trying to listen in on Haruhi and Keiko's conversation while Kaoru watched his back to make sure that Hikaru wouldn't be seen if someone looked over at them.

"I don't know why you dragged me over here with you on your senseless endeavors," Kyoya was saying to Tamaki. "I'm not even sure what you're hoping to gain out of this, anyway."

"Shhh! They're talking about… commoners or something," whispered Hikaru. "We need to get closer!"

Tamaki and the twins crept forward even more while Kyoya, Mori, and Honey stayed where they were. Haruhi and Keiko carried on with their conversation, completely unaware of the nearby spies.

"Keiko-chan, I wanted to come talk to you because you forgot to take the cookbook with you when you left my house this weekend. I didn't even notice you leaving, so I forgot to remind you to grab it!"

"Oh!" Keiko gasped. "I completely forgot that you had said I could borrow it…"

Haruhi just smiled. "I thought so. I brought it so school with me, but I left it in the club room this morning when I went to find your locker number, so if you want to stop by and pick it up later during club hours, you can."

Ah… there was the catch. Keiko did want to borrow the book, but she seriously didn't know how she felt about being around those boys and their crazy fangirls. Apparently, Haruhi caught the look of apprehension on Keiko's face, so she continued.

"The Host Club isn't so bad, you know," she said honestly. "They can be a little intense sometimes, like the other day at my home, but they're really good people. I'm mostly saying this because… well, they found the note you left me the other day, and now I'm pretty sure they're coming up with some plan to see what it meant. They may go overboard sometimes, but just don't get too surprised if they ask you any questions. I really think you can trust them with your secret-"

As Haruhi went on, Keiko's face was growing paler by the second. Damn it, she knew she should have left that note somewhere more discreet, but she really didn't think that any of the boys would have gone in the kitchen. There was one thing that Keiko knew and that was that these boys could absolutely _not_ be trusted with her secret. She had been hoping to keep anyone from finding out and telling Haruhi about her situation was bad enough, but the prospect that the Host Club could find out was horrifying. The Club was comprised of some of the biggest names of the school: Suoh, Hitachiin, Ootori, Haninozuka… there was no way they wouldn't tell their families if they found out, and that would be a disaster. Some of the most influential families would know there was some kind of discord in the Ishida family, and that would certainly affect the family's reputation… especially if the media was somehow involved. The whole school and their families would know what had happened.

Haruhi stopped, seeing that Keiko's mind was only full of hellfire. Her panic was only worsened when two familiar twins stepped in behind them seemingly out of nowhere, their mouths contorted into two sadistic smirks.

"What secret would that be, now?" They voiced together, sending Keiko over the edge. She really did fall off the bench this time, her face flaming.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" demanded Haruhi. They immediately tried to look innocent, while the rest of the Host Club revealed themselves, only further provoking Haruhi's anger. Keiko stood back up, trying not to look sheepish. She wasn't jumpy, but it had been the second time within only an hour she had gotten the wits scared out of her. _Maybe I need to start paying more attention to my surroundings…_

Haruhi was fuming. "Please tell me that you guys didn't follow me here. Please tell me that you're just out here for some other stupid reason."

"Of course we didn't follow you!" cried Tamaki, hurt by Haruhi's words. "We were just, ah, admiring the flowers here! I thought that watching the flowers in their graceful beauty might help me to perfect my own technique! Maybe you should be doing the same, Haruhi!"

Tamaki and Haruhi began to argue, while the twins cornered Keiko.

"So, Keiko-chan, care to enlighten us about this secret of yours?" asked one of them, getting uncomfortably close to her face.

"Would it possibly have anything to do with the fact that you're eating from a bento box, like some kind of commoner?"

"Has the Ishida family gone bankrupt? If so, why are you still attending Ouran Academy if you can't even afford proper food?"

Keiko grew more flustered and angry by the second. Why did they have to butt into her personal life like this? Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

"First of all, please don't call me Keiko-chan," she started. "Second of all, no, my family is not bankrupt or going bankrupt any time soon. Third- will you please kindly _leave me the hell alone!"_

She was surprised by her own tone, and even more so when the twins backed a few steps away, giving her some space. Keiko was usually fairly unassertive, but it felt like the twin devils knew just how to push her buttons. Hikaru and Kaoru were a little taken aback, but recovered quickly.

"Come on, don't be such an idiot. We're just trying to help," said one of the twins, the one with a slightly deeper tone, taking her by surprise. Sure they were just trying to help, and she was a three-headed unicorn. She did relax a bit, not without realizing that she probably shouldn't be so rude to the sons of such an influential family. _Maybe this is what my parents were talking about… I should probably be more careful speaking to these guys._

Tamaki, who had apparently finished whatever argument he had been having with Haruhi butted in. "The shady twin is speaking the truth, my princess! We only want to know why you have been acting so strangely, and if we can do anything to help you! After all, it is our duty as members of the Host Club to make sure that every girl is happy."

Haruhi shook her head, a small smile creeping onto her face. She wished that the entire Club hadn't followed her to figure out what was going on with Keiko, when she told them to just ask her if something was wrong. As annoying as it was, she knew that Tamaki's intentions were genuine. He was always helping those who came to him, without a second thought. Tamaki had gone out of his way to help Kanako with her fiancé, the elementary kid whose crush was moving away, the doctor, even Renge. His selflessness was probably his best quality, but she wouldn't dare tell him that. Tamaki's ego was already inflated as it was.

 _Hang on… how did they know I was going to meet Keiko here, anyways?_ Haruhi thought to herself, turning to look at Kyoya, asking a silent question.

"If you're wondering how we knew you were planning to meet with Ishida-san, it wasn't too difficult to figure out. Your intentions were quite obvious after you asked me to find Ishida-san's locker number."

Haruhi sweatdropped, turning away quickly. _Right… of course it was the Shadow King. What else did I expect?_ She glanced at Keiko, whose resolve seemed to have been momentarily broken by Tamaki's words.

"Come on, princess," Tamaki said, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "I can hear your cry for help just by looking at you. You can trust us," he assured. The rest of the Host Club was looking on earnestly.

Keiko looked up at him in shock. She didn't really know the guy outside of class, and she had been mostly convinced that Tamaki was just a bumbling idiot who had a way with the ladies. She felt tears threatening to prick at her eyes, and pulled away quickly before anyone could see them.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, scrambling away from them. She grabbed her bento and hastily left the gardens, leaving them all behind.

Haruhi was the first one to break the silence with a sigh. "I get that you guys are trying to be helpful and all, but did you consider that maybe she doesn't want your help?"

Later that day, Keiko was considering forgetting about the cookbook and just asking Haruhi to let her pick it up elsewhere, but she supposed she should apologize to them all for just running out on them like that. It had been pretty childish of her, but she hadn't known what to do. Why did they want to figure out her secret so badly, anyway? It made no sense. Tamaki and one of the twins had said that they just wanted to help, but were they telling the truth? They barely even knew her.

Despite her reservations, she found herself walking to the third Music Room anyway. She had made sure to come after the Club's guests had started arriving, so that all the attention wouldn't be on her again. She was able to enter the music room quietly enough, but it didn't take the boys very long to notice that she was there. Keiko made her way over to where Tamaki was hosting, and he excused himself from the girls for a minute (earning her several jealous glances). Soon enough, the rest of the hosts were standing there with him.

"Um…" she started, unsure of herself. "I just wanted to say sorry, for running out on you guys earlier. I kind of panicked," she said, trying to stop the blush from creeping onto her face from all of them staring at her. "If you guys really want to know what's been going on with me that badly, and why I was at Haruhi's house this weekend, then I will tell you."

They looked pretty surprised at this admission, but Kyoya interrupted before she could say anything more. "There's no need, Ishida-san. After lunch, I spoke over the phone with one of your family's drivers. As it turns out, he used to work for my family, but was offered a better salary by your own family. He told me that you had been asked to leave the Ishida household, and have since been living as a commoner."

The entire Host Club and Keiko stared at Kyoya in shock.

"What? You asked one of her family's drivers?" asked Tamaki. He looked back at her, completely shocked. However, Tamaki's gaze held none of the pity that Keiko had been so afraid of, just surprise. "Is it true, Keiko?

She sighed and couldn't help but grin. She had been so stressed out about them finding out her secret, and Kyoya had gone so out of his way that now, it just seemed funny. What did it matter if they knew, anyway? "Yeah… there it is I guess. I was asked to leave, as Kyoya put it, and move into commoner housing until I could figure out some way to prove that I'm serious enough to inherit the company. It was pretty surprising, but-" Keiko was interrupted by Tamaki's loud cry of happiness.

"Don't worry, Keiko-chan! We're going to do everything we can to help you prove yourself to your parents! What's more, we can take you with us on some of our commoner field trips! We're all learning more about the lives of commoners, and it could help you!" Tamaki was speaking so quickly, getting more and more excited about this idea by the second. Keiko just stared at him in shock, while the rest of the Host Club looked pretty surprised.

"Um… Boss?"

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, you know," said the twins, to which Tamaki glared defiantly at them.

"I haven't made any promises! I'm simply saying that we all will do whatever it takes to help Keiko! It is our duty as members of the Host Club!"

Keiko took a step back, a little taken aback by his energy. "It's okay, Suoh-san… It means a lot to me that you say that, but I can figure it out on my own. Living as a commoner has gotten a little easier since Fujioka-san showed me some recipes. Really, I can cope!" she assured him, but he was having none of it. He quickly ran off to a table, dragging Kyoya along with him and leaving her with Haruhi, the twins, Mori, and Honey.

"What's he up to?" Keiko asked Haruhi, a little unsure about where this was all going.

"Who knows, really," said Haruhi with a shrug. "With his whims, it's pretty hard to guess. I know he's a little intense Keiko-senpai, but don't let him talk you into anything too crazy."

"Kay-chan!" cried Honey, throwing himself into her arms. "If you're living all by yourself, then who is making you cake?"

"Well… Nobody, really. But that's okay Honey-senpai, I don't eat cake very often anyways." She meant to say it as if it was no big deal, but to Honey, not eating cake pretty much sounded like the end of the world.

"Come have some cake with me and Takashi! We have so many different flavors, I know you'll love them all!" Keiko could hardly say no to him, and was whisked away to enjoy said cake before she knew it, leaving Haruhi with the twins.

Haruhi watched as Keiko picked out a slice of cake, and actually relaxed to enjoy it with them. The girl had been so tense the past few days that seeing her relax was like watching a whole new person blooming right in front of them. She wondered where the Host Club was going to take Keiko. She had been around the club long enough to figure out that getting involved with the Host Club could be a pretty big deal.

Before she could muse on it any longer, Tamaki marched back over to Haruhi. "I've decided, Haruhi! At the next Host Club meeting, we are going to create a plan that will help Keiko win her parent's faith! I'm calling it: Operation Help Keiko Prove Herself and Not Have to be a Commoner Anymore! What do you think?"

Haruhi groaned. "Well, it sure is a mouthful."

* * *

 **New chapter since the last one was so short! Just for your own reference, this story starts shortly after episode 10 in the anime, and chapter 12 in the manga. I plan to follow the storyline somewhat, using both the manga and the anime as basis :) I do want to include some manga stuff the anime left out, but no worries if you haven't read the manga, I'll do my best to keep everything clear!**


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